With the launch of iOS 16.1, Apple implemented Emergency Satellite SOS, designed to allow iPhone 14 owners to contact emergency services using a satellite connection when a cellular connection is unavailable or WIFI. The feature worked in Alaska, when a man stranded in the countryside was rescued.
In the early hours of the morning of December 1, the Alaska State Service received word that a man traveling by snowmobile from Noorvik to Kotzebue had become trapped. The man was in a remote, cold, connectionless location and he activated the satellite emergency SOS feature on his iPhone 14 to alert authorities to the dire situation. his towel.
Apple’s Emergency Response Center worked with local search and rescue teams as well as the Northwest Arctic Region Search and Rescue Coordinator to dispatch volunteer searchers directly to the coordinates. GPS has been forwarded to Apple using an emergency function.
The man was successfully rescued and there were no injuries. The area where he is is very remote and on the edge where there is a satellite connection. Apple says satellite connectivity may not work in places above 62° latitude, such as northern areas of Canada and Alaska, and Noorvik and Kotzebue closer to 69° latitude.
Soldiers assisting the rescue were “very impressed with the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the initial warning”, with the Emergency SOS feature via Satellite designed to ask a number of questions before the incident. Newspapers are sent to expedite rescue missions.
Emergency Satellite over SOS is available to all iPhone 14 users, and it can be activated when an emergency occurs and there is no WiFi or cellular connection. The feature is free to use for two years, and Apple has yet to provide details on future costs.
The satellite connection is available in North America at the moment, and it will soon expand to France, Germany, Ireland and the UK.
